


Into the Abyss

by PixieKisses



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Bottom Sirius Black, Established Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, M/M, POV Harry Potter, POV Remus Lupin, POV Sirius Black, References to Addiction, Sirius Black Never Went to Azkaban, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin Raise Harry Potter, Top Remus Lupin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:49:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27042265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixieKisses/pseuds/PixieKisses
Summary: After the murder of James and Lily Potter, Sirius falls into a deep depression. Unable to grieve, he turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism unaware of the effect this has later on those he loves. Written in three parts.
Relationships: Remus Lupin & Harry Potter, Sirius Black & Harry Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33
Collections: Harry Potter ABCs of Death: A Halloween Fest





	1. Sirius

**Author's Note:**

> I was given four words to choose from each beginning with the letter A:  
> 1\. Apoplexy  
> 2\. Abyss  
> 3\. Amoeba  
> 4\. Anal
> 
> I selected prompt number 2.

Sirius wasn’t sure how he had ended up in a Ministry holding cell, and quite frankly he didn’t care. All he knew was that he needed to get out. His head was pounding, and his throat felt like he’d just swallowed a mouthful of sand. Lying staring up at the concrete ceiling, listening to the steady drip-drip of water hitting the floor. He hoped that Remus would bail him out and soon before he ended up going mad. 

“Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birth...Oh, for Merlin’s saggy cock will someone get me the fuck out of here?” Sirius shouted, voice echoing loudly.

The small hatch in the iron door opened, revealing a pair of familiar blue eyes before shutting. Sitting up, Sirius eyed them nervously, as Albus Dumbledore walked in looking conflicted. 

“How are you, my boy?” Dumbledore asked in a soft tone, offering Sirius a lemon sherbert which was promptly declined.

“I feel like I’ve been run over by the Knight Bus,” Sirius said chuckling in amusement as he kept looking to the door wishing it to open. He could feel himself getting jittery, and there was only one way to stop it.

“Sirius, I’m afraid you’re going to be here for a lot longer than I thought. The Aurors are having difficulty tracking down Mr Pettigrew, and until he is located, they refuse to let you leave. For your safety, as well as his,” Dumbledore explained as he sucked on one of the sugary-tart sweets.

Sirius felt his blood run cold as the past few days flashed past his eyes in a burst of colour, sound and emotion. Sirius felt his breathing get shorter and shorter until he was shaking, feeling as though he couldn’t breathe. Clutching at his throat, Sirius began clawing at the skin in fear. He felt rather than saw bindings wrap around his wrists as two burly looking guards restrained him. He thrashed against them as he continued to struggle to breathe until a vial was pressed against his lips. Sirius tried to resist, but that seemed only to make matters worse. The foul-tasting potion slipped down his throat as soon he felt his body go limp, and his eyes started to close. Bastards.

He woke a few hours later, with his head feeling like it was stuffed with cotton wool, and muscles that burned with the tiniest of movements. He was drenched head-to-toe in a cold sweat, and at some point, he had vomited. The acrid smell permeated his nostrils, making him gag as he crawled away from the cold metal toilet he had been clinging to. He needed a drink. Sirius couldn’t remember the last time he had been sober. It was probably sometime before he left for Hogwarts still naive in his thinking that no matter what his family would love him. Receiving a howler from his mother, however, made him realise just how wrong he had been. 

A door banged open, and he sat up expectantly. There following one of the guards was a distinctive head of messy sandy-coloured hair that he would recognise anywhere.  _ Remus _ . His heart soared, and he lunged towards the bars, hands reaching out to touch the man he so desperately loved. Who made him feel whole and loved. There in Remus’ arms was an infant. Sirius reeled back in horror as a pair of emerald green eyes stared right at him. 

_ No! No! This was wrong; this wasn’t right! This wasn’t real. It’s only a dream. You’re going to wake up any minute now Padfoot, and he’ll be gone. He’ll be at home with Prongs and Lilypad at Godric’s Hollow. _

“Look, Harry, it’s Uncle Pads. Come on, let’s get the silly puppy home, eh?” Remus said with eyes that were burning with sadness at the way he had reacted so sharply.

“Why would you bring him here, Moony?” Sirius growled, anger flashing in his eyes as did everything he could to shield him from the innocent eyes of his Godson.

“Where else am I supposed to leave him? You’re his legal guardian Sirius and my husband. He’s ours now. You promised James and Lily that you would raise him should anything happen, or have you been hidden so far up your own arse that you don’t remember?” Remus snapped, baring his fangs in retaliation that had Sirius shrinking back against the wall.

Sirius knew only too well what it was like to get on the wrong side of Moony. He certainly had the scars to prove it. He shook his head before looking at Remus hopefully. “Am I being released?”.

Remus nodded as the guard opened the door and escorted Sirius down to central booking where his things would be returned pending his release into society. Central booking was packed with drunken revellers who continued to sing and dance even though they were being put into cells. Sirius felt his blood boil at the sight of their callous happiness. Remus’ cloak was concealing Harry he noticed, and for that he was glad. 

“Right then sir, I need you to confirm that items I am returning to you, are in fact your property and that they were in your possession at the time of your arrest. We have one set of house keys; one silver hipflask engraved with the initials SOB; one Cypress Wand, 12 ¼ inches, Dragon Heartstring, slightly springy; one packet of Muggle cigarettes, and a metal Muggle lighter engraved with  _ ‘To Sirius, Happy 17th Birthday, All my love, RAB’ _ . Can you confirm that these do in fact belong to you?” The desk sergeant asked as he read out the list of items currently on the desk.

“Yeah, they’re mine. Can I go now?” Sirius asked as his fingers instinctively reached for the hip flask desperate to get his lips around it and quench the feeling of dread that was pooling in his stomach.   
  
“By all means, sir. I need you to sign this form, and you are free to go,” The desk sergeant said as he handed Sirius a quill who swiftly signed the form before sliding on his leather jacket.

The worn leather smelt of smoke and death. Never again could he associate it with love and laughter. He waited until he was outside before he unscrewed the cap and tipped it back. He coughed as the strong taste of Lily’s homemade gin hit the back of his throat, burning his insides. Instantly he felt the fog around his brain lift. It was as though he could see again and feel. He grinned at Remus who was shaking his head in aggravation as he pulled out one of his cigarettes and lit it, breathing in the aromatic smoke with a sigh. As soon as he exhaled, he took another sip, then another until the flask was empty. 

Wand in hand he apparated landing back outside their flat in Diagon Alley. Unlocking the door, he stumbled over the rug that always seemed to want to trip him and into the kitchen. Crouching in front of the sink, he rummaged in the back of the cupboard and pulled out a dusty bottle of Ogden’s Firewhiskey. Sirius pulled the cork free with his teeth, poured himself a glass, downing it one before quickly pouring another.

“Of course that’s the only thing you’re concerned with right now. You haven’t even said a word to Harry, or me. You promised me you’d stop,” Remus said as he dusted soot off Harry’s nose, not able to meet Sirius’ silver orbs.

“I never promised you, shit. You just don’t let up, do you? Always harping on, and on, and on. Well, if you don’t like it you can fuck off,” Sirius replied heatedly, slurring his words slightly as he tried to focus on the blurry image of his husband.

“I’m going to bath Harry. Hopefully, once he’s asleep you won’t be quite so intolerable,” Remus said with a small whine to his voice as he disappeared into the bathroom.

Sirius heard the telltale click of the door locking behind him. Shrugging, he collapsed onto the sofa, a bottle of whisky in hand, of which, the contents seemed to be disappearing at an alarming rate. His eyes drifted shut, and he fell into a disjointed slumber. Voices, colours and smoke, filled his dreams, polluting them with the acrid tang of death. He heard some call out his name, but whoever they were he couldn’t find them. Sirius woke with a start, gasping for breath as he struggled to separate fiction from reality. Groaning, he kicked the empty bottle across the room as he padded over to the bathroom. It was unlocked, which meant that Remus had finally got over his issues. 

Pushing the door open, he unzipped his fly and relieved himself. His mouth tasted bitter. Tucking himself back into his jeans, he flushed and turned to the skin where he rinsed his mouth out with cold water. He caught sight of his reflection in the mirror and recoiled at the sight of himself in the reflective surface. His hair hung limply around his shoulders, and his skin was ashen and grey. Stripping himself of week-old clothes, he turned the shower on, turning the temperature up as high as he could handle it before stepping under the scalding spray. It hit his skin like razor blades, and he had to grit his teeth, forehead pressed against the cold tiles as he allowed the shower to wash away his pain. 

He heard footsteps approach, followed by the feel of arms around his waist and lips kissing across his shoulders and back. He moaned as his cock twitched in response. Long fingers wrapped themselves around his member, working him to hardness. Others began preparing him for what he hoped was a long hard fuck that would leave him feeling empty and full at the same time. 

“Remus!” Sirius moaned when he felt the man thrust two fingers against his prostate moving his hands in perfect harmony, as he was driven wild with lust. The urge to come hit him a lot sooner than he would have liked and soon he was decorating the bathroom wall. Sirius watched, embarrassed as his seed was washed away. Remus either didn’t notice or didn’t seem to care. Because the next thing he knew, he was being stretched and filled by the werewolf’s impressive cock. Over and over again until he was once also on edge, never quite being able to fall. 

“Oh, Remus, fuck! Harder! Harder!” Sirius cried loudly as he thrust his arse back at Remus in time with the man’s thrusts.

Remus growled in response, and the deep sound made Sirius shiver in delight and tip his head to one side. He could feel his lover getting closer as his thrusts grew more frenzied. Teeth tore into his shoulder, breaking the skin and drawing blood sending Sirius over the edge, spasming with the intensity of his second orgasm. Sirius was pretty sure that if Remus weren’t holding him up, he would have fallen. His legs felt weak, and his body limp. The next thing Sirius knew was that he was being hoisted out of the bathroom and into their bed. The softness of the pillows made him feel like he was resting on clouds as he fell back to sleep, a smile on his lips.

Sirius woke to the feel of his stomach rolling uncomfortably. Dashing from the bed, he darted into the bathroom and only just made it to the toilet as the hot rush of bile rose in his throat, making him retch. He felt a pair of hands pulling back his hair and rubbing his back as he continued to vomit up the contents of his stomach. 

“Sip this, love,” Remus said, pressing a glass of cold water into Sirius’ hands as he sat back on his haunches.

Sirius wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sipped it gratefully. Swishing out his mouth, he spat the water into the toilet bowl before flushing. His stomach was continuing to roil, but there was nothing left to bring up. Resting his head against the cold tiles, he turned to look at Remus who was looking at him with concern radiating in his amber eyes.

“What time is it?” Sirius asked, voice hoarse. He coughed to clear his throat before taking another sip of water.

“Just gone six,” Remus replied standing, head cocked to one side. “Harry’s awake. Are you going to be okay on your own for a moment?” Remus asked hesitating in the doorway.

Sirius nodded in response relieved when Remus left. Hauling himself to his feet on shaky legs, he checked to make sure he was genuinely alone before lifting off the lid to the cistern. He pulled out a couple of miniature bottles of neat vodka. Twisting the tops, he downed them one after the other coughing as they burned his raw throat. Lifting his hands, he cursed when he saw that they were still trembling. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and an old band t-shirt Prongs had given him back in their fifth year. It was a little small, but he’d never be able to part with it.

He could hear Remus whispering to Harry in the other room and took this as an opportunity to open the bottom draw in the kitchen and withdrew an innocent-looking mouthwash bottle. Twisting the cap, he sipped it gratefully as he felt his hands slowly stop shaking. Remus entered, Harry perched on his hip a soft deer toy floating in front of them, making the infant giggle as he reached happily with chubby hands to grasp it.

“I thought we were out of mouthwash,” Remus commented with a small frown on his face. 

Sirius paused the bottle halfway to his mouth, a flush rushing to his cheeks. He watched Remus set about making Harry a bottle. Whilst a handful of blueberries were turned into the most delicate puree mixed with carefully cooling porridge at the wave of his wand.

“I, err, found it in the bathroom cabinet,” Sirius said hastily as he quickly closed the cap, shoving the bottle into the pocket of his jeans. 

“Hmm, strange. I didn’t notice it last night. It must have been hidden behind something else,” Remus replied with a disbelieving hum. Harry hungrily snatched the bottle, drinking the milk down, green eyes watching them curiously.


	2. Remus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five years after the death of his friends, Remus struggles to handle Sirius' addiction.

The past five years had been an uphill battle for Remus. Juggling a child, an alcoholic husband and his condition was slowly taking its toll on his body. He grimaced as he noticed that the strands of grey peppering his hair were getting more and more pronounced. 

He fumbled with the tie Sirius always said looked good on him and sighed. Why had he agreed to do this? Every time James and Lily’s deaths were mentioned, Sirius withdrew inside himself. Disappearing at the bottom of a bottle until any remnants of the man he married and loved were gone. 

On his good days, Sirius made him feel alive and wanted like no-one ever could, but they seemed to outway the bad. 

“Moony, you ready? Meda’s here with little Nymphie to babysit Harry,” Sirius called from the bedroom.

Remus bit his lip. He could already hear the slight slur in Sirius’ voice. Well, he couldn’t put this off any longer. Opening the bedroom door, he scowled at the sight of Sirius lighting up a cigarette.

“I thought I told you to smoke outside Sirius. It’s not good for Harry to breathe in second-hand smoke. It’s like you don’t even care sometimes,” Remus said challengingly, ripping it out of Sirius’ hand. He threw it into a half-empty glass of water where it fizzled as it extinguished.

“What the fuck, Remus?! You can’t just go around dictating what I can and cannot do. You are not my father,” Sirius growled in anger, jumping to his feet defensively. He shoved Remus away from the glass where it toppled over spilling over the table and onto the floor.

“No, I’m your husband. It’s meant to mean something. Merlin’s balls Sirius, when will you stop acting like a selfish prick?” Remus yelled as he ran to grab a towel and began mopping up the mess.

“I can’t believe you just said that!” Sirius said in anguish.

Remus tensed when he heard the door slam behind him. Shit. This was not going to end well.

Heading downstairs, Remus kissed the top of Harry’s head, from where his husband’s godson was sitting playing a game of exploding snap with Andromeda’s daughter. Nymphadora was taking the great joy out of distracting their godson by changing her hair into every single colour of the rainbow. Remus’ heart soared when Harry’s green eyes lit up happily.

“Are you, going to be long, Uncle Moony?” Harry asked giggling when the cards in his hands began to jump and snap.

“No little one. We’ll only be gone for a few hours. Be good for Cousin Dromeda, and don’t let Dora get you into trouble now,” Remus replied, ruffling the boy’s hair gently.

“You can count on me, Remus,” Dora said with a toothless grin as her features morphed to mirror his own which was quite startling if Remus was truly honest with himself.

It took Remus a few minutes before he was able to pull himself away. It was the first time in five years that Remus had left Harry alone. Sirius had always told him he was too soft. But considering everything Harry had experienced, he was scared that he was going to come back one day to find Harry missing or worse dead.

He entwined his fingers with Sirius’ before apparating them to the Ministry of Magic. Ever since his false arrest, Sirius tended to avoid it like the plague. He looked at Sirius and squeezed his hand when he noticed the tightness in his jaw and the stiffness in the man’s shoulders.

“The quicker we do this, the quicker we can get back to Harry,” Remus commented though whether he was saying that to reassure Sirius or himself, he didn’t know.

“Yeah,” Sirius replied, reaching into his inside jacket pocket, withdrawing a hip flask. He flicked open the top and drank deeply.

Remus rolled his eyes when Sirius shot him a wicked grin as they entered through the main doors into the large atrium. The sheer volume of noise made Remus wince in pain, not to mention the barrage of sights and smells. Remus could already feel a headache forming behind his eyes. To make matters worse, Rita Skeeter was suddenly heading straight for them with a predatory smile on her painted lips. 

It was once when she was inches away from him that Remus realised he was alone. Frowning he turned to look around it, rising on tiptoes to try and locate the man but it was as if he’d just vanished. 

“Ah, Mr Lupin. It is Mr Lupin, isn’t it?” Rita Skeeter asked in a sickly sweet voice that made the hairs on the back of Remus’ neck rise in a warning. 

“Tonight’s soiree marks the fifth anniversary of the brutal murders of your husband’s best friend James Potter and his Muggleborn wife, Lily Potter formerly Evans. How do you think they would feel knowing that you were raising their son? Angry? Betrayed? Ashamed?” Skeeter asked, licking the nib of a quill.

Before Remus could even answer, she continued. “How have you managed to deal with a husband, is it, who seems to prefer the company of other men to you?” Rita asked, looking a bit too pleased with herself.

Remus knew it was always best to ignore any probing questions a reporter like Skeeter possibly could ask. Still, that last one made him sit up and pay attention. “I’m sorry, what?” Remus asked not sure whether he’d heard her correctly or not.

“How does it feel to know that your  _ husband? _ ” Rita said more slowly. 

Remus’ hackles rise slightly, especially in the way she emphasised the word husband as though it were a derogatory slur, “prefers the company of other men to you?”.

“And what exactly makes you think there is any truth in your accusation?” Remus asked with a small growl, eyes flashing dangerously.

The smirk on Rita’s face made him want to rip her throat out. Remus snarled as she inspected her nails as though entirely bored by the conversation. He followed her eyes towards the bar. A tall blond-haired man who seemed altogether like he had a stick up his arse, was happily running his hands over Sirius’ thigh. Whilst plying him with more and more alcohol. Even from here, Remus could tell that Sirius had no clue what was going on around him.

Ignoring the smug look on the vile woman’s face, Remus stormed over to the bar at the precise moment the man leant over to whisper in Sirius’ ear. He couldn’t make out much of the words he did catch the phrase  _ shag _ and  _ toilets that _ he could live with. He’d grown up with people making a pass at Sirius his whole life. What angered him most was the burning look of desire in his husband’s eyes.

The moment Sirius stumbled off his stool and looked up into his face, Remus was pleased to see the startled haunted look of a person caught red-handed. Snarling in anger, Remus turned on his heel towards the exit. He could hear Sirius calling his name, but all he could see was red. Apparating away, he popped into the living room, pulling his shoes off angrily and heading straight into the kitchen. 

Andromeda looked up at him in surprise as he rummaged through the cupboards and began making himself a cup of tea. He tensed at the sound of the front door slamming. Abandoning his tea, he took to the stairs, two at a time and into his bedroom, pulling his clothes off as quickly as possible. 

“REMUS?” Sirius' voice boomed from below before the man cursed as he crashed around.

Switching on the shower, Remus stepped under the spray not caring an ounce that it was freezing. He just had to be somewhere that Sirius wasn’t before he did or said something he’d regret. 

_ Was he the reason Sirius drank?  _

_ Had he done something terrible?  _

_ Was he a bad husband?  _

_ Had he failed Sirius somehow? _

Remus felt his emotions rise before breaking free. The next thing he remembered, he was sitting on the shower floor, holding a battered, bleeding hand. Remus sobbed loudly. Pulling his knees up to his chest, he buried his head in his arms as his body continued to be wracked with untamed emotion. He jumped when he heard the door to the bathroom open, and he quickly swiped at his eyes, thankful for the opaque shower curtain that hid him from the world.

“Moon? Are you in here?” Sirius asked as his footsteps got closer and closer to the shower.

Remus jumped to his feet and switched off the shower. He pulled back the curtain and climbed out, grabbing a towel and wrapping around his waist. He barged past Sirius and into the bedroom.

“Come on, Moony! Why are you so uptight?” Sirius asked, leaning against the doorframe of their ensuite.

“Uptight? I’m not uptight Sirius; I’m hurt. You were going to go off with that man. If I hadn’t have noticed, you’d be there now, sucking him off. Like a desperate rent boy,” Remus snapped whirling around to glare at the man he’d married, shaking his head in disappointment. 

“Well, what do you expect when you don’t put out, huh?” Sirius replied in anger, though by the look on his face Remus could tell he was already regretting his choice of words.

“Can you blame me when you’re so drunk that you can’t get it up anymore?” Remus said cuttingly, picking up the nearest object and launching it at Sirius’ head where it missed and smashed against the wall.

“Maybe you should just fuck off and find someone else then,” Sirius yelled in response, looking at Remus in alarm.

“Don’t think I haven’t considered it, but if you think for one moment that I am going to leave Harry here alone with a drunk. You have another thing coming,” Remus said as he grabbed a bunch of spare sheets from their linen box before shoving them into Sirius’ arms.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do with these?” Sirius asked, looking confused.

“You can find somewhere else to sleep,” Remus said, dragging Sirius towards the door and shoving him out into the hall. He slammed the door behind him before locking and warding it for good measure.

Chest heaving as he tried to quiet his rapidly beating heart Remus fell into bed. Burying his head into his pillow, he tried to contemplate what he was going to do. And how he was going to protect Harry from the aftermath.


	3. Harry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Expecting to have to return supporting Remus as they deal with Sirius' drinking, Harry receives a welcoming surprise.

Harry always hated going home for the holidays. His friends never understood his reluctance. They just thought he preferred to be surrounded by others rather than spending the Summers alone. As the train pulled into Kings Cross Station, Harry tensed as he set about collecting his things.

“Hey mate, when are you coming to the Burrow again?” Ron asked as he yanked his trunk off the luggage rack onto the floor, narrowly missing Hermione’s foot.

“Err, in a week. It depends on when Remus has time to bring me. He still doesn’t trust me to use the floo alone,” Harry said chuckling in amusement as he recalled the incident three years prior when he’d ended up somewhere he shouldn’t.

Ron snorted in reply. “You’ve got to stand up for yourself, mate. They can’t keep treating you like a kid. What are they going to do once you move out?” Ron asked as they made their way onto the platform.

“Fuck if I know,” Harry replied with a shrug chewing on his thumbnail hoping that Sirius wasn’t the one collecting him that afternoon.

“Well I think it’s nice that Remus cares about you Harry,” Hermione said, somehow managing to dodge the streams of students and Muggles. However, he did have to pull her out of the way of a pillar or two.

Harry watched with anguish as his friends joined their families before he wandered over to an exhausted-looking Remus.

“What state is he in?” Harry asked as they set about their usual post-Hogwarts ritual of gorging themselves on McDonald’s.

“It’s hard to tell. Sirius is excited to have you home. He wants to meet your friends,” Remus commented as he dipped his chips in ketchup before popping them into his mouth.

“Yeah, that’s never happening. How do you expect me to explain this to Ron and Hermione? He’s a drunk, Moony. I’m sorry. At home, away from everyone, I can handle it. I’m used to it. If they were there, I’d feel like I’m walking on eggshells the whole time,” Harry snarled, shoving his burger to one side suddenly looking nauseous.

“Harry, I know this is hard. Trust me, I understand. I’ve tried everything I could to get Sirius to stop. I’ve attempted to seek medical help, rehab centres, fuck I’ve even tried hypnotherapy, but nothing works. The only person who can stop is him. Look, why don’t you head to Ron’s early? I’m sure Molly would love to see you,” Remus replied, looking crestfallen. He hated letting Harry down.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” Harry challenged, voice rising slightly, earning them a few glares from the staff and other diners.

"Of course not Harry. I know how Sirius' addiction affects you. All I want is for you to be happy. I thought Voldemort's ritual backfiring causing him to shrivel up and die would have made you happier, but, I still see the troubled young man you are. Listen, why don't we go away for a while? Take a holiday?" Remus asked as he attempted to steer the conversation onto a lighter subject.

Harry sighed as he drank his milkshake slowly before answering. "I don't want to lose him too. I remember their deaths, Moony. I remember the sound of my mum screaming as Voldemort murdered her then tried to murder me. You and Sirius are the only parents I've got left. I don't get why he feels the need to be so selfish!" 

The comforting hand on his always seemed to distinguish his anger. He knew deep down there was more to Sirius' problem and that selfishness had nothing to do with it. In all his years living under his godfather's roof, Harry had never once heard Sirius talk about his parents. As he'd gotten older, Harry had started to notice Sirius avoiding him. Preferring to hole himself up in his "study" instead which is why he was surprised when Remus had said he was looking forward to seeing him.

It wasn't his fault he looked so much like his dad. If anything, it was nice to know that he took after him. The photo album Hagrid had given him when he was eleven was great. Still, it didn't truthfully answer the burning questions he had filed away in his brain. 

Even Remus struggled to talk about him. However, he had told him some things like the fact that his dad had been in the Auror program. And that his mum worked at Flourish and Blotts until the world went to shit and they had to go into hiding. 

Returning home, Harry felt Remus tense beside him, which instantly set alarm bells ringing in his head. Surprisingly however he was met with the sight of Sirius pouring bottle after bottle down the sink a look of determination on his face. He shared a look with Remus who shrugged. Clearly, he wasn't the only one surprised what Sirius was doing.

"Harry! You're back! How was Hogwarts? I heard the Ministry appointed someone for Moony's old job," Sirius said, pulling Harry into a tight hug.

"Umm, yeah. Dolores Umbridge. She's...she's a cunt," Harry replied swiftly dodging Remus' hand, grinning as the werewolf started reprimanding him for his inappropriate use of language. 

"We need to talk," Sirius said bluntly, pulling them both over towards the large leather couch.

"Did someone die?" Harry asked automatically. 

He supposed that if his past years of having a target on his back had meant anything. It was that people around him tended to die.

"No. No. I've decided that it's time I stopped drinking. I've been seeing a therapist. She's prescribed me this potion that apparently fixes my brain and stops me from needing a drink. It's not perfect. The cravings she said will always be there. However, you are getting older, and it's not fair to have you picking me up off the floor. Or cleaning up my mess," Sirius said earnestly, as he sat himself down on the coffee table.

"I have never met your friends, and I realised that  _ I _ was the reason why. I know from my own experience that I would never have allowed your dad or Moony, especially Moony to step foot in my mum and dad's house. They were abusive arseholes who thought blood purity was everything when, in reality, they were trapped in a bubble of their own making. It took me being sorted into Gryffindor to realise how much I didn't know about the world. So, I want you to please write Ron and Hermione and invite them to dinner," Sirius added.

The hopeful look in Sirius' eyes caused Harry's carefully constructed armour to crack, and he soon found himself nodding in agreement. 

The following night, Harry found himself twitching as he waited for his friends to arrive. Sirius, much to Harry's surprise hadn't touched a drop of alcohol in twenty-four hours, and he prayed that this new habit would continue. 

The sound of the floo had him up out of his seat in a flash, and soon he was being smothered by Hermione’s god-awful hair as she hugged him fiercely.

"I don't know why but I never imagined you, to live in a flat," Hermione commented already drawn towards Remus' extensive book collection.

"Where did I think I lived, the cupboard under the stairs?" Harry retorted as Sirius arrived with bottles of butterbeer and a glass of water for himself.

"That's just silly, Harry. You wouldn't fit unless it were secretly the Tardis or something," Hermione said, smiling as she accepted the drink.

Ron soon appeared followed closely by the Twins who instantly set about inspecting the flat. Harry smirked at the knowledge that at some point Remus and Sirius would fall foul to one of their pranks. The image of Sirius turning into a giant yellow canary had him chuckling.

Later that night with Ron snoring beside him, Harry still couldn't understand what had happened to make Sirius decide to seek help, but he was glad he did. Maybe from now on, they could be a typical family, whatever that meant. He drifted off into the best sleep he had ever had. Safe in the knowledge that Sirius wasn't going to be chucking his guts up in the morning. Or any other morning for that matter. For the first time in years, Harry was glad to be home.


End file.
